Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)
Salary

Certified Ophthalmic Assistants in the United States are largely female. The average salary of the entire group is approximately $16.19 per hour. In the world of Certified Ophthalmic Assistants, overall cash allowance can occasionally include more than $1K from bonuses and, in some exceptional cases, $7K from profit sharing, causing incomes to vary widely between $26K and $45K. Residence and career length each impact pay for this group, with the former having the largest influence. Health benefits are not enjoyed by everyone in this line of work, and just under one in four lack any coverage at all. Medical benefits are reported by the larger part and dental coverage is claimed by more than two-fifths. Work is enjoyable for Certified Ophthalmic Assistants, who typically claim high levels of job satisfaction. The numbers in this rundown were provided by PayScale's salary survey participants.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)

A certified ophthalmologist assistant (COA) provides professional medical and administrative help for eye physicians in a clinical setting. They perform tasks such as muscle testing, refractometry, vision exams, and recording eyeglass prescriptions for patients. Interacting with patients is essential for this position, as an ophthalmologist assistant places patients in the appropriate room and prepares him or her for the appointment. A COA is also expected to clean equipment, surgical instruments, and exam areas regularly to prepare the environment for each patient. Ophthalmologist assistants are called to execute diagnostic testing to examine clients that suffer from eye and vision abnormalities and injuries. In addition, the COA may also administer medicine to a patient and assist with the surgical process if needed.

Some of the clerical responsibilities of a COA include answering patient questions when the doctor is unavailable, screening telephone calls, ordering medical supplies, and scheduling patients accordingly for upcoming visits. Educating patients on their condition and appropriate medical treatments is a necessary duty. An ophthalmologist assistant must be able to accurately document patient records and fill out patient forms to make the clinical process run smoothly.

Professionals in this field typically work a standard, 40-hour week inside a hospital, clinic, or private office in collaboration with an ophthalmologist. To work in this field as a licensed professional, one must have at least a high school diploma and complete a program in ophthalmologic medical assisting at an accredited college or university. Many entry-level COAs receive on-site training, and experienced workers often become trainers to new COA’s. An individual who works as a COA should possess solid communication skills, stellar organizational abilities, computer literacy, and good vision and hearing to satisfactorily complete daily tasks.

Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) Tasks

Coordinate patient care and influx of patients.

Provide technical ophthalmic and administrative assistance.

Take patient history and perform preliminary examination of patient.

Assist ophthalmologist with office patient procedures.

Common Career Paths for Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)

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While Certified Ophthalmic Assistants do not often become Registered Nurses, the job pays $55K per year on average. Certified Ophthalmic Technicians or Ophthalmic Photographers are common next-step roles for Certified Ophthalmic Assistants moving up in their careers; annual pay for Certified Ophthalmic Technicians is $4K higher on average, and it's $6K higher for Ophthalmic Photographers.

Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) Job Listings

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Popular Skills for Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Survey participants wield an impressively varied skill set on the job. Most notably, skills in Refractions, Laser-Assisted In-Situ Keratomileusis, Surgery, and Medicine / Surgery are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 7 percent and 14 percent. At the other end of the pay range are skills like Refractometry. Those who learned Patient Education also tend to know Procedures and Medical Photography. For most people, competency in Electronic Medical Records indicates knowledge of Medical Photography and Procedures.

Pay by Experience Level for Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For many Certified Ophthalmic Assistants, extensive experience does not lead to significantly more money. Those in the early stages of their career can expect to make around $31K; however, individuals with five to 10 years of experience bring in $35K on average — a distinctly larger sum. Certified Ophthalmic Assistants with one to two decades of relevant experience report an average salary of approximately $37K. Individuals who have achieved more than 20 years of experience don't seem to earn much more than people who have 10 to 20 years under their belts; the more senior group reports an average income of $40K.

Pay Difference by Location

For Certified Ophthalmic Assistants, Boston provides a pay rate that is 33 percent greater than the national average. Certified Ophthalmic Assistants will also find cushy salaries in Seattle (+28 percent), New York (+21 percent), Austin (+12 percent), and Indianapolis (+10 percent). The smallest paychecks in the market, 11 percent south of the national average, can be found in Virginia Beach.